Best chicken coops for hens, fowls and bantams

By Dan Fauzi

Published: Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 12:00 am

Welcoming chickens into your home, with all the wonderful benefits they bring, can be as challenging as it is rewarding. Finding the right coop to house them in is an important decision, and it requires you to consider a number of factors and variables.

We recommend reading our detailed guide to keeping chickens in your garden, particularly if you’re planning on keeping chickens for the first time. It covers chicken breeds, food, garden size, how many chickens to keep, and many more helpful tips for starters.

How to choose the right chicken coop

One of the most important factors is size. Depending on how many birds you have, you may need to invest in a larger coop to house them all. Some coops will be advertised as large enough for a certain number of chickens, but they often don’t factor in how much space they’ll have to move. It’s always good to check the dimensions to make sure your birds aren’t too crammed.

The coop’s materials also play a big part. Wooden houses can often match the style of your garden more nicely, but their corners and angular shapes can make them harder to clean. Plastic and metal huts can avoid this, while also providing decent protection from the weather.

Hygiene is particularly important at the moment as bird flu is becoming more widespread, and chickens are having to be kept cooped up to prevent further spreading. Chicken keepers can help by being as hygienic as possible and, with chickens likely being in the coop as you clean, an easy-to-clean option might be best.

Also, foxes are one of the biggest killers of chickens. The products we’ve chosen all claim to be fox-proof, but implementing extra measures could be a good way to further protect your birds.

If you’re hoping to get lots of fresh eggs from your chickens, huts with easily-accessible nesting boxes can be more practical. For huts that house a large number of chickens, it can be helpful to have more nesting boxes available to them.

But, also importantly, you want it to look good in your garden! Chicken houses come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and you’re always able to add your own styling touches to any that you buy. Even the most plain metal coops can be decorated to look more homely!

Best chicken coops, huts and houses to buy in 2022

Pets Imperial Marlborough/Savoy Large Chicken Coop

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Wooden chicken coops are known to be harder to clean and maintain, but this chicken house from Pets Imperial hopes to avoid that by offering as many opening parts as possible. This allows for easier access to the roof, nesting box, run and living quarters – which is also an effective way to check on your birds.

It’s a traditional wooden design, one that would make a great feature in a big garden. It’s a suitable choice for up to eight medium-sized chickens, with four roosting perches, two nesting boxes and six nesting compartments within.

Archie & Oscar Holsworthy Chicken Run

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If you have up to three chickens, this run is a great way to provide them with plenty of space in a home that’ll fit in nicely with your garden. The outside run is protected by walls made of wood and wire, and the house itself is mostly wooden with an asphalt roof for weather protection.

The house is raised on legs to help prevent a build-up of moisture, which is a big bonus for your chickens’ health. The nesting box has a fold-out roof, too, for easy access to any eggs.

Shire 11×3 Chicken Coop

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Ideal for big gardens, your chickens will have a large, airy home with this chicken coop and run. If your chickens are often left to wander round the garden, and they’re used to having that open space, this is a great way to still give them room to explore when cooped up.

There are multiple access doors, including a door for the run, the nest box, and three to the roost. There’s also a locking mechanism for extra security at night.

Green Frog Designs Large Chicken House

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Green Frog Designs’ chicken house is a great choice for customisation options. Choose between small, medium or large coops, as well as the option to have an added stand. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly option, the hut is made from recycled plastic – which also has its advantages when it comes to cleaning.

The chicken house, which promises to be fox-proof, includes two waterproof nest boxes and two removeable wooden perches. Green Frog Designs claim that eight large fowl can fit in it, but we’d recommend it for fewer chickens to allow them more space to move.

The Gypsy Daydream Chicken House

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Flyte So Fancy produce some of the most uniquely-designed and beautifully hand-painted chicken houses available. The gorgeous house pictured above works as a template, where the design you’ll receive is inspired by your style. Each one is painted differently, based off the ideas and colours you provide for them.

The chicken house can accommodate 15 hens and has a removeable nest box and dirt tray. It also features sliding ventilation windows and three perches.

PawHut Walk In Chicken Run

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For a straightforward, spacious, and secure coop, PawHut’s walk-in chicken run provides enough room for chickens to walk around independently. Chicken coops like these offer the opportunity for you to build and position nesting areas that are more suited to them, as well as being able to design the interior contents however works best.

Omlet Large Eglu Cube

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Omlet’s Eglu Cube is the perfect all-purpose chicken coop for customising to your needs. With a wide range of adjustments and add-ons available, you can tailor the coop for how you intend to use it.

You can choose the length of the run, or have no run at all, with the option of having wheels attached to the stand. It’s effortlessly practical, with the plastic making it easier to clean and the steel frame offering well-needed protection from predators.

Henlays Chicken Coop

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The chicken coop from Henlays can give your chickens a unique and almost royal-looking home. Made from recycled materials, specifically 12mm-thich Stokbord, the house is designed to last for decades.

The interior is said to be well-ventilated, with a large nest box that can be shared by multiple birds. The metal components are made from steel and promise to be resistant to rust and weathering.

The Fantasia Rose Hen House

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Choose between pink rose and yellow rose with this hen house designed for up to eight chickens. Made from Scandinavian redwood with a resin-tiled roof, the coop can bring a homely effect into your garden.

The house features a lift-off nest box, a vertical sliding pop-hole door and two removeable perches.

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